Home Fires: Bullfrog, ND (Pt 1)
by katbybee
Summary: This is the first in a series of stories on the Heroes return to their homes just after Liberation. This story deals with Hogan and Carter together, but each will be getting their own turn as well. This installment was written in honor of POW/MIA Day, 9/15/17. I wrote it in long-hand during Hurricane Irma, and just now got it typed up. Please R/R. Usual useless disclaimers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the first in a series of stories on the Heroes return to their homes just after Liberation. This story deals with Hogan and Carter together, but each will be getting their own turn as well. This installment was written in recognition of POW/MIA Day, September 15, 2017. Unfortunately, I wrote it in long-hand due to having no power during Hurricane Irma, and just now got it typed up. Don't worry, I am also hard at work on updates for my other stories, as well! Please enjoy "Home Fires: Bullfrog, North Dakota, Part One"

 **Chapter One**

 **Bullfrog, ND**

 **October 1945**

 **Tuesday**

Robert Hogan sighed with relief. Their long journey was almost over. At least, this leg of it was over. He nudged the pale, sleeping figure next to him. He hated to wake him, but he needed directions. "Andrew, hey, Andrew, come on, buddy, wake up!"

Blue eyes blinked at him in confusion. "We better get inside before ol' Klinky catches us! Think LeBeau's got some hot soup ready? I could sure use some!"

Hogan sighed. The doctors in New York had assured him the bouts with confusion on waking would ease up in time. Andrew just needed some time to get re-oriented. It was no wonder, after they had once again nearly lost him, ironically, _after_ liberation.

In fact, Andrew had become desperately ill on the ship from London, with a mysterious bug that had ravaged many of the men over the course of a few days, and then, just as mysteriously, disappeared. It had left him weak, and even thinner than he had been when he left Germany. But, he had made it to New York, and his former commanding officer, one Robert Hogan, whom Andrew still insisted on calling "Colonel," rented a car and drove him home to Bullfrog. He would never have made it any other way.

Eventually, Andrew's confusion eased, and Hogan found his way out to the reservation. He had been amused and overwhelmed by the confusing mob of family that immediately embraced him as he helped them settle Andrew into the large farmhouse, and they had, in turn, been charmed by the dedicated officer and friend who had put the long-awaited reunion with his own family on hold for the good of one of his men.

He readily agreed to stay with them, since he was completely exhausted from the long drive from New York. He was not up to making the long drive to Bridgeport, Connecticut just yet, especially, since he would be making it alone. He had put in a collect call to his father just after he had arrived, to let his family know he had arrived safely, and that he would see him in about a week. He was impatient, of course, but it had been over six years since his last visit home. He could wait another week. Besides, Andrew's relatives were pouring in from all over…this could prove to be a very interesting visit!

 **Wednesday Morning**

Andrew was laying on the sofa. He spent a lot of his time there, because it was centrally located, and he could rest while still being in the middle of things. His mother had just gotten him to eat a little bit of lunch and he had finally gotten her to go to take a nap.

His face suddenly darkened and Hogan knew what he was thinking.

 _It had been a bittersweet parting in London for Andrew and Hilda. They had married in Germany just before Liberation, in a brief ceremony two days before the Allies had arrived, using papers forged by Newkirk—a "gift" from the best man. To no one's surprise, Klink had not protested. He was much too concerned about his own skin at that point, and he figured anything that would keep his beautiful secretary safe was a good thing._

 _As he had done for Newkirk and Leticia, * Taffy Matthews had officiated. Hilda held the distinction of being the last traveler sent to London through Papa Bear's nearly-dismantled network. She was met by her twin sister Helga, who was living there with her husband and two sons. As it turned out, Helga had left her post with Klink to take a position in the London underground…and was later instrumental in helping Andrew smuggle Kinch into London after his escape from Stalag 13.**_

 _It was after they were reunited in London that they hit a snag, when they discovered that there was a lot of red tape involved in Hilda being able to follow Andrew to the United States. There were heightened security concerns in Washington, since the war was so recently ended. As a result, Hilda was still in London, and they were both desperately worried about each other._

Hogan knelt beside his friend and laid his hand on his arm. Gently, he spoke. "You know London's doing their best. All the paperwork is in order. They just need get everything worked out on this end to get her here. But it will happen, Andrew. You need to believe that. And you know I will do everything I can to make it happen."

Tiredly, Andrew listened to Hogan's words, and nodded, but said nothing. He closed his eyes, and a few minutes later, his breathing evened out, and Hogan knew he had fallen asleep. He watched him for a few moments. Carter had always been the thinnest man in Barracks 2, but he had lost a lot more weight on the trip home to the States. He was just now starting to gain again. His mother had told him that his normal weight was somewhere around 160 pounds. It was hard to believe looking at him now. In fact, he would not have believed it, had he not seen the boot camp graduation photo that graced the bookshelf here in the family room. Right now, he would be lucky to tip the scale at 130.

He quietly left the room, and went out to sit in one of the rockers on the wide front porch. It was quiet out here, and he needed some time to just take in all that had happened in the last few weeks. The transition from prison to freedom was still a bit disorienting. As he shut the front door, he realized he was not alone. Sarah Carter, Andrew's older sister was occupying one side of the porch swing. He smiled at the lovely brunette. She looked like her brother, but was olive-skinned, with startlingly blue eyes and a petite but curvy build. She was the sort of girl he would normally have gone for in a heartbeat, but, well, she was Andrew's _sister_ , after all…

He gave her a hesitant, but charming smile, and took a seat in one of the rockers. She smiled back, and they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Hogan sensed that she was shy, and he did not want to push her, so he contented himself with rocking quietly, and letting Sarah guide the conversation when she felt ready.

His patience was rewarded when, a few minutes later, she spoke quietly. "Thank you, for bringing Little Deer back to us. I've missed him very much. We all have."

He turned towards her, and smiled gently. "It was no trouble at all. I sort of think of him as a little brother. But I can see he wasn't kidding when he said he had lots of family!" He chuckled.

Sarah smiled. "Oh, _that_ is an understatement. He has the family here, and also the tribe…there are several hundred members there that he counts as family as well. We all take care of each other. It is our way. The way it has always been."

Hogan nodded. "The way it should be."

Sarah's eyes sparkled. "You understand! That's good! Not everyone does."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, as he thought of something. "You go by Sarah. Yet you call Andrew "Little Deer." Do you have a Lakota name?"

She smiled. "I do. I usually give my _wasichu_ name to others. We have always been called by both names, although our mother mostly uses our Lakota names. Before you arrived, we all agreed to use only Little Deer's Lakota name, to begin his healing."

"Do you mind if I ask you what your Lakota name is?"

She chuckled. "I don't mind. In English, it translates to, "Rain Flower. My family and friends call me Rain."

He was momentarily speechless. Finally, he said, "That's beautiful! May I…may _I_ call you Rain?"

"Of course, but I must admit," she smiled, "then I will feel a little silly calling you, 'Hogan!'"

He grinned. "My name is Robert. My friends usually call me Rob, although I doubt your brother will ever call me that!"

Rain tilted her head, and regarded him for a moment. "Rob. Yes, it is a good name. It suits you."

It was quiet for a while, and then Rain spoke again. "I, too, am waiting for someone."

He looked at her, understanding dawning. "Oh? Army?"

She smiled sadly. "Yes. Little Deer does not know. I met him after he was captured. And then, I went away to school for a while. That is where we met. In town. He was on leave, waiting to be sent over. And we fell in love. He was sent to Japan. We exchanged letters for about six months as often as we could. Things were getting bad for him. His letters stopped coming. I had hoped, by now…" her voice trailed away.

He usually didn't tell people about his father, but he wanted to try to help. "Look, my father is a retired Army general. I bet he could help us find out what happened. The war in Japan hasn't been over all that long. He may still be in transit. Look how long it took us to get back. If he was taken prisoner, it could take a lot longer to process out. If you give me whatever information you have, I'll try to help."

Rain looked deeply into his eyes, and he suddenly realized he couldn't look away. Her expression was solemn. "You are a good man, Robert Hogan. You truly are _chiye._ One meaning of that word is 'older brother.' But the meaning is deeply layered. You are honorable and caring. Others look up to you and you would die for them, and they for you. This is 'chiye.' My brother is blessed."

She rose from her place on the swing, and silently walked back into the house, shutting the door quietly. Hogan stared after, shocked that she was aware of so much after only one short conversation. He knew Andrew had never said a word about their operation. He was also a little envious of the extraordinary family of which Andrew Carter was a part. He was pretty sure Andrew was the blessed one. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

~TBC~

A/N: *See my stories "Earthquake" for the story of Newkirk and Leticia and "The Demise of Daisy" for the story of Hilda and Carter. ** See my story "Three Ring Circus" for my take on why Kinch left HH. Hilda and Andrew's wedding is briefly touched on in that story as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wednesday Afternoon**

Hogan made his way out to the large backyard. He could understand why Carter loved this place so much. It was beautiful. In a distant meadow, he watched a small herd of horses grazing in a field in the distance. He would bet those were the horses Andrew had talked about over the years. He had missed them, and had spun many a tale about the beautiful animals.

Hogan flopped down under the giant oak tree Carter had told him he had fallen from as little boy, apparently after climbing the forbidden tree on a dare. There were people all over the place, since there was a reunion of sorts going on due to Carter's homecoming. And as he watched, a fascinating thing struck him. Everyone was wearing a matching charm. It was either a pendant, or on a charm bracelet, or on a keychain, or even on a watch fob or belt…but every member of Carter's family on both sides had one. He remembered the pendant on the delicately worked silver necklace Rain had worn. One of his cousins ambled by and Hogan called out to him, "Hi, I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Col. Robert Hogan."

The young man smiled and dropped down beside him. "We haven't, and I know. I'm Hawk. I'm glad to meet you. Thank you for taking such good care of my cousin. He's a good guy." His gaze dropped to the flat charm on his wide leather wristband. It was made of white stone, on which was etched a wolf watching over a deer curled trustingly into its side. Hawk's eyes grew sad.

Quietly, Hogan spoke. "I've noticed that charm, and that everyone in your family is wearing them. Do you mind if I ask you what it means?"

Hawk smiled. "I don't mind. Did Little Deer ever tell you much about Sammy, his older brother?"

"Some. He said they were close, and that he went into the service and was a pilot. He also said that he had been shot down and killed."

"Yeah, he was. Obviously, that devastated his parents, all of us, really. And then we got the news about Little Deer…well, you can imagine. One of my uncles owns a rock and crystal shop, and he also carves charms. So, he made one for everyone in the family…over a hundred of them! It was a memorial to Wolf and a way to show support for Little Deer. We decided we would wear them until he was completely healthy again."

Hogan smiled ruefully. "If he ever is. He's one of the strongest guys I know, but he's been through so much."

"You see, that is where he is also fortunate." Hawk flipped his long hair behind him and settled down more comfortably.

Hogan looked at him curiously. "Fortunate?"

"When a warrior comes back from war, he is not easily able to fit back into the community because of what he has done, what he has seen and experienced. The demons in his mind haunt him. The people know this, and so, there are ceremonies and songs to help him heal and restore balance to his soul. When he is ready, this is what we will do for Little Deer." *

Hogan's eyes fell on two very large, very blond teenagers who were tossing a football back and forth. He blinked when he realized they looked exactly alike. Hawk laughed at his reaction.

"No, you're not seeing double. They are twins!"

He called out to the players, and they both ambled over and dropped down next to them, greeting them casually.

"Hogan, meet Arne and Bjorn. Their names mean Eagle and Bear. They're also Little Deer's baby brothers."

One of the boys shot Hawk a fierce scowl. "I would hardly say 6'10" and 250 lbs. qualifies as 'babies.'"

The other looked equally disgusted, but before he had a chance to retort, Momma Carter came out the back door bearing two heaping platters of fry bread. **** She was nearly mobbed until her stern voice stopped them all. "Guests first. What are you, a bunch of savages?"

Her comment dropped all the boys in their tracks, laughing hysterically. She then calmly handed Hogan a napkin full of the delicious lumps of warm dough, and a glass of milk. Some of them were savory, and some sweet. Hogan thought he had died and gone to heaven right there. Momma Carter beamed. There was nothing she liked better than feeding hungry boys.

She turned to the twins. "Make yourselves useful. Go get the glasses and pitchers of milk off the counter. Rain is bringing more fry bread after she takes some to Little Deer. I want him to rest after that, and then maybe come out back for a while." She continued to hand out the treats to the rest of her eager family.

Hogan turned to Hawk. "Are all the people here family?"

"Most of us. There are a few scattered non-relatives, but not many. I am not only a cousin, but I was Wolf's best friend as well."

"Wolf?"

"His full name was 'Sammy Standing Wolf,' though he preferred Sammy outside of the reservation."

"Not Samuel?"

"Nope," Hawk grinned.

Hogan frowned. "Wait a minute. If that was his whole name, how the hell did Carter end up with 'Little Deer Who Runs Swift and Sure Through Forest?'"

Hawk laughed merrily. "Because when you come from a family this big, there are bound to be disagreements over what to name a child. Two of the grandmothers came to an impasse, and the matriarch of the family at the time, our great-great grandmother named him and his cousin, who was born less than a month later, 'Angry Rabbit with Thorn in Cotton Tail,' to end the arguing." Hawk's eyes twinkled madly. "The grandest part of the joke is, she wasn't even Lakota. She was full-blood Norwegian! She was also over 100 years old and her word was _law_!"

Hogan thought about that. "So, their names are a joke? That doesn't seem right."

Hawk shook his head. "Not in the way you are thinking." His expression grew serious. "Names are very important in our culture. Grandmother knew this. She went to the leaders of our tribe and spoke to them first. She talked also to our Great Grandfathers. She made sure that their names would include a noble animal or trait, as is required. Neither of them resents their name, though some may think it. Both are good, strong men, and exceedingly clever."

Hogan couldn't help it. His curiosity got the better of him. He had heard Andrew refer to his cousin as "Angry Rabbit" one time before.

"Does he really go by 'Angry Rabbit?'"

Hawk's easy grin played across his handsome dark features once again. "No, most everyone calls him 'Cotton.' Because they are so very close in age, and were so competitive as kids, Little Deer calls him 'Angry Rabbit' and Cotton calls Little Deer 'Swifty.'"

Hogan smiled. "Somehow, that makes perfect sense!"

"Well, Cotton, Andrew's father, and some of the others are up at the mill. You'll meet them this weekend. They'll be down off the mountain sooner if they can meet the government contract quicker. They wanted to be here when you arrived, but…" he shrugged.

Hogan nodded. No explanation necessary. He was interested in the mill, though. "So, does your family own the mill?"

"Actually, it belongs to the reservation. It, along with some of the small businesses we own and run, help us support ourselves. All of us work either the farm or the mill. Little Deer was one of the best scalers we ever had."

"Scalers?"

"He can look at a tree and tell you exactly how many board feet of saleable lumber we could get from it. Dead accurate every time. Takes most scalers years to get as good as him."

Hogan was amazed. Here was something Andrew had never talked about.

~TBC~

A/N: This is true. I know this through research and through knowledge of my own heritage.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thursday Morning**

The doctor had come by the day before to see Andrew, and was pleased with his progress. He had told them it would be slow, but that with rest, good food, and time, he saw no reason that Andrew should not make a full recovery. After he left, Hawk drew Hogan aside, and assured him that the family was making plans for a healing ceremony for him as well. This told Hogan that his friend was in the best place he could possibly be.

He sat at the desk in his room, pondering his next move. The good smells of a farm breakfast drifted up from below, and he reveled in the peace of this place. It had meant the world to him when Andrew had told him that his parents had given him Sammy's old room. Hogan had mentioned it when he went to see Andrew that first evening. "It's because you're like a big brother to me, and they see that," he said simply. It was the closest Hogan had come to losing it in front of anyone in a very long time.

There was a knock on the door, and when he answered it, Andrew's mother peeked in. "There's a call for you. It's London!"

He smiled. "Thank you, I'll be right there!"

His hopes soaring, he took the stairs two at a time. She handed him the phone, her eyes shining. He took it, speaking eagerly. "I'm here. Of course, I'll hold, Operator!"

"Hallo, guv!"

Hogan was so happy to hear from his English corporal, he completely forgot where he was. "Newkirk, you old bastard! How's tricks?" He never saw the big wooden spoon that landed a stinging blow between his shoulder blades, but he sure felt it. As he whirled around and yelped in shock, he met the furious eyes of Momma Carter. Her arms were folded and she was glowering at him.

From the receiver in his hand, Hogan could hear Newkirk's confused, "Hallo, guv, hallo?"

Hogan heard muffled laughter from the family room, that threatened to erupt into hysterics. Momma turned in Andrew's direction. She called out to her son, "Would you like me to come in there?" The laughter stopped abruptly, and Hogan grinned.

Andrew shuffled in and sat down at the table, watching his friend with avid interest. Momma poured him a cup of coffee and then left briefly to get his robe from the family room. He allowed her to place it around him without protest.

Hogan hurriedly put the phone back to his ear. "Sorry about that, Peter. What's going on?"

"Did you talk to your father about what's happening with Andrew and Hilda?"

"I sent him a message from London, yes. Why?"

"Well, I guess bein' a retired Army General with friends in high places still counts for somethin'. Either that or he's just really good at cuttin' red tape. I just got a call from Helga and she wants to know if you can pick Hilda up from Bismarck Army Airfield in about four days. The paperwork has been approved and signed off!"

"What? Of course, absolutely! You're kidding! That's great! Where's Hilda now?"

"She would have called Andrew herself, but the military docs wanted to give her a last once-over before they let her fly. It's a helluva long trip, y'know. I'll call you when they finalize things, but it looks like she should be there sometime on Monday afternoon."

Andrew was now staring at him intently. Hogan noticed there was more color in his face than there had been since his days in the Stalag. After Hogan had hung up the phone, he turned and looked at Andrew. "She's coming home."

He jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair. "When?"

"No details yet, but it looks like about four days. She's flying into Bismarck Army Airfield." He noticed Andrew was swaying slightly. "Sit down, Andrew." He used his command voice, and Andrew sat, without thinking. Momma smiled at Hogan, his earlier indiscretion apparently forgiven.

Andrew looked directly at Hogan as he sat down at the table and his mother handed Hogan a cup of coffee as well. "You're going to pick her up?"

"Of course, I am."

"I'm going with you."

This brought an immediate protest from both Hogan and Momma Carter, who scowled vehemently.

Hogan told him, "No, you're not. It's a long trip and you aren't even close to being well yet!"

Andrew replied, "She is my wife, and I need to be there when she sets foot on American soil for the first time. I promised her we'd do it together. I'm going."

Hogan sighed. He recognized the set of Andrew's jaw. He'd seen it a hundred times before. And this time, he couldn't fall back on giving Carter a direct _order_.

And then his mother spoke.

"You are being a stubborn mule. A stubborn mule moves neither left, nor right. He looks neither up, nor down. And because of his stubbornness, he sees not the boulder that has fallen from the cliff above him, and is about to crush him. The boulder all his friends, who have moved safely from its path, are shouting to warn him about. And _you_ are supposed to be my clever son."

And she turned and silently left the room, leaving the two stunned men to stare after her. Hogan watched her leave, and all he could think was, _"Where the hell was she the whole time I was stuck in Germany?"_

A full five minutes passed in silence, and Hogan finally looked across the table at Andrew. "Well?"

Bleakly, Andrew gazed back at him. "Bring her back to me, Colonel. Please, bring her back to me."

Hogan smiled, and nodded. "I will, Andrew. You know I will."

 **Friday**

Hogan finally got to meet the rest of Andrew's family; at least the ones from the sawmill. He had not been sure what to expect from his father. Olaf Carter was much taller than his son. In fact, Hogan was shocked to realize that he would have probably towered over Kinch. However, he had the same slender build, and laughing blue eyes as Andrew, though his hair was much lighter in color. Because of the work he did, his arms and chest were heavily muscled. Although father and son looked very much alike, Hogan soon discovered that Olaf Carter was taciturn to the point of being practically silent. This was not to say that he was an unfriendly man, however, and the two got along quite well. Also returned with the others were Andrew's middle brothers. Ole and Finn had Andrew's build, but both had their mother's dark hair and eyes.

By the time his father and brothers had returned, Andrew was spending most of his days up and about, though he was still not moving as fast as he would have liked, and his mother had forbidden him from taking on any of the chores around the farm yet. She knew he was aching to get back out to his horses, but she also knew he was not yet ready.

Momma stood at the kitchen sink watching her son as he sat fidgeting restlessly at the picnic table. He flipped through the pages of the magazine in front of him without really seeing what was on them—without really caring. Her mother's heart ached a little as a thought flitted through her mind: _Soon, he will be ready to take on the world again…_

~TBC~


	4. Chapter 4

**Monday**

Hogan left very early on the long drive to pick up Hilda, and Hawk went along to keep him company. Hogan enjoyed the drive, because it gave him the chance to learn even more about Andrew's childhood. He was amused to discover that most of what he had assumed to be tall tales were actually true. As he listened to some of the wilder stories about Cotton and Andrew's antics, he remembered shuddering back at the Stalag when Newkirk had teased them that Andrew could have been twins. He now realized there really _had_ been two of them, though Cotton had been the brawn, and Andrew the brains of the outfit. He found himself wondering how either of them had managed to survive, let alone their surroundings.

Later that morning, Rain came out into the back yard to find her brother slumping at one of the picnic tables. He was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, and his flight jacket and cap. He was watching the horses, longing in his eyes. She slid in next to him, and laid her hand on his arm. "Hey brother, how would you like to go see your horses?" His eyes lit up, and she saw him grin…the first one she had seen since he had come home.

His face fell as he told her, "I doubt I can make it that far."

"I thought of that. Which is why I had the boys bring around another one of your old friends."

Andrew heard her long before he saw her, and he couldn't believe it. He had figured he would have to rebuild her himself, because she wasn't finished before he left. But here she was. Rebuilt and beautiful. His bike. The motorcycle he had practically put together from spare parts from the frame up. She was now a gleaming black…and Ole, realizing he might not be ready to solo just yet, scooted forward, grinned and assured him, "Hop on. We won't get so close that we spook 'em. Rain and the boys will walk down."

And that was when Little Deer truly began to come back to himself.

~HH~

Late that night, he sat on the porch, waiting. They should be back soon. A thousand things ran through his mind. He had spent a couple of hours with his horses, just talking with them, and they had been like a balm to his soul. Rain had known what he needed. She always did. Ole and the others had left them alone with the horses, and eventually, she had told him about her Michael, and about Hogan's offer to help. And then, she had helped him to ride Shappa. Just for a little while…but she had known he needed it. Just as she had known that he needed to be alone tonight, to wait by himself. She had managed to draw the rest of them away for a while, and they were all out back, visiting. He knew his mother was worried about him, but he needed time to prepare to see Hilda again. Because he knew he had some decisions to make. _Because, if Hilda was willing, Andrew had decided to re-enlist and was planning to follow Hogan to Virginia as soon as he was healed and ready for duty. But he would not say a word to Colonel Hogan until he actually re-enlisted. That way, nothing could go wrong. Breaking the news to his family, after being away from them for so long, was not going to be easy, and he wasn't looking forward to doing it. But he was sure it was right._

The sound of an engine in the distance drew his attention. He smiled as he saw the headlights playing off the ruts in the long driveway. He waited until they had pulled up in front of the house before he stepped down off the porch. And even though both the Colonel and Hawk made it out of the car before he got there, neither opened her door. They stood and watched as Andrew stepped up, and reached for the handle.

It was too dark for him see her, but he could feel her smiling at him. He opened the door, and in the next instant, Hilda was in his arms. He held her tight for a moment, and then kissed her, reveling in her scent, in her beauty. Neither of them even noticed the other two had gotten her luggage and were already making their way inside. They were completely lost in each other. Eventually, she moved back and looked at him. She put her hand to his face, and frowned. "Andrew, you are so thin! It frightens me!"

He shook his head and smiled. "It's alright, love. I'm getting better. It's gonna be fine. You'll see."

Less than two hours later, Olaf, Hogan and Carter sat at the kitchen table. Hilda had been exhausted by her nearly 24 hours in the air, and so had gone to sleep early. She had been confused by the fact that Olaf had placed her bags in a guest bedroom, and not Andrew's room, but she was so tired, she had not protested. Carter had been upset, but had chosen to wait to talk to his father about it until after Hilda was asleep. Hogan was pretty sure what the problem was. He knew that Andrew had told his parents that improper paperwork was part of the difficulty with Hilda's ability to come to the states. And now, Olaf wanted to know _exactly_ how improper that paperwork was.

It was a credit to Hogan's ability to think on his feet that they were able to explain how they had gotten their hands on the forged paperwork without revealing anything about Papa Bear or their operation. Much to Andrew's consternation, twenty minutes later, he had been forbidden to sleep in the same room as Hilda until they were properly wed. And his father would brook no arguments. Andrew's jaw dropped. Hogan nearly fell off his chair laughing, until Momma's glare shut him up.

Seeing that the discussion was over, Momma came to the table and refilled Olaf's and Hogan's coffee cups. She took Little Deer's cup, waving away his protest. In a few moments, she returned and placed the steaming mug in front of him, but it definitely no longer contained coffee. He grimaced.

"Ah, Momma! Not that bark stuff again!"

Sternly, she eyed him, "That 'bark stuff' is very good medicine, and you know it. Our people have used it for thousands of years. Drink it." She moved back over to the stove, where she was mixing another batch of the medicinal tea.

He huffed and gingerly sipped the tea, putting it down immediately. "Yeeech!"

Hogan looked at him. "It can't be all that bad."

Andrew pushed the offending mug across the table. "Fine. _You_ drink it."

Olaf simply raised one eyebrow at his son, and softly stated, "Drink it."

Andrew drank it.

~TBC~


	5. Chapter 5

**Wednesday**

Momma was delighting in getting to know Hilda. They were in the kitchen, where Momma was teaching Hilda how to make aebleskivers.* Andrew was delighted because these incredibly light popover-style Norwegian donuts were one of his favorite treats in the world. He knew they would be making more that evening, because it was his great-grandmother's recipe, and his father could eat them by the dozen. Rain was with them, and they were chatting about wedding plans. Much to Andrew's disgust, Hilda had gotten onboard immediately with the thought of a big wedding, and, as they had never really had a honeymoon, she decided that waiting to share a bed was not that bad.

Hogan had planned on leaving early Thursday morning, but hadn't given the ladies of the household enough warning, and so, was voted down. He feebly tried to protest, but Momma drew herself up to her full 4'9" and looked him right in the eye.

"You saved my son's life. I will _not_ have you die of food poisoning on the way to your home. Your mother would never forgive me. We will cook and pack food. Tomorrow you rest, and visit one more day with Little Deer. And then Friday morning I will cook you both a good breakfast. Then you will leave here ready for your journey home to your mother." And she tapped him on the chest with her ever-present wooden spoon, and turned on her heel, heading back into the kitchen.

Andrew had been stretched out on the sofa at the time, watching the whole exchange. He still had his bad days, but overall was much better. Carter chuckled. Hogan eyed him, irritation flashing through him. He was still worried about Carter, but still…

"You're laughing at me," he accused.

Andrew grinned happily. "Yes, I am. Don't bother arguing when she gets like that. She doesn't trust restaurants. Never has, never will. And the women in my family are the best cooks in the world. Look at it this way," he shrugged, "what choice do you have?"

Hogan grinned, and relaxed into his chair. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Andrew had another mug of the despised herbal tea in his hand. Rain kept flitting in and out, making sure he was drinking it. Hogan had noticed something, and he decided to call his friend on it. "By the way, you do realize you might kill that house plant if you keep watering it with that tea!"

Andrew just smirked at him, completely unrepentant.

 **Friday morning**

Hogan was surprised at how melancholy he felt. He had become quite attached to Carter's family. He was eager to get to Bridgeport, but he would miss these folks, too. He had tucked a card in his wallet with Michael's information on it, for Rain. He had the rental car packed. He was ready to go. He pulled on his bomber jacket and crush cap. He had changed back into his uniform, although he could swear the slacks fit him just a bit tighter than they had ten days ago. The reason for the uniform was that it would make it much easier for him to get gas on his trip. He wasn't above keeping an ace up his sleeve when he needed it, after all.

Hilda's good-bye was perhaps the most poignant and fitting of all. After all they had shared, there was really nothing left to say, and they both knew it. Andrew left them alone on the porch. Hogan was sitting on the porch swing, and he stood when she came out. She stepped up to him, and they regarded each other silently for perhaps a minute. Each would start to speak, and then stop. It happened several times. And then Hogan smiled gently, stepped forward, took her hand, and kissed it. "Good-bye, Hilda."

Tears brimming, Hilda also smiled. "Good-bye, Robert." And she turned and walked away.

He had already said good-bye to everyone but Momma, promising to call when he got to his parents' house. Momma had packed a box of food for him that would easily have fed a platoon for a week. He took her hands in his, and now she pulled him down into a hard embrace; her strong, square body an instant haven of comfort. Her bright black eyes sparkled with emotion, and she placed something in his hand. "I have watched you," she whispered. She released him, and turned quickly away. He looked down, and in his hand, was a key-fob with a white charm. Only, this one was different. The deer was now a magnificent young stag standing on the left, and the wolf was gone, apparently entrusting his place to another. For to the right of the stag now stood-a great brown bear. Stunned, Hogan nearly forgot to breathe. When he finally looked up, she was gone.

His breakfast, though Momma Carter had outdone herself, had settled like a ball of lead. He knew what the problem was. He did not consider himself a particularly emotional person, but he hated saying good-bye. Always had. He usually made a joke out of it. _But this was different. This was Andrew. They had been through so much together. In many ways, he had watched Carter grow up. How do you walk away from that?_

Andrew stepped out onto the porch. "Guess it's about time, sir."

Hogan looked up. "Yeah." Then he realized what Andrew had said. "You know, you don't still have to call me that."

Andrew simply shrugged. "Just feels right, that's all."

Hogan shook his head. "I know what you mean. I'm gonna miss you."

Carter sighed. "Me, too. Maybe I can come visit sometime."

"Sure, maybe I'll give you a tour of the Pentagon."

Carter grinned, the loopy grin Hogan seen a million times. "That would be great! You're really gonna be working there?"

"Looks like it."

Carter sobered. "You're gonna do great, Colonel."

"Thanks, Carter."

Hogan shifted his feet uncomfortably for a moment. There was so much he wanted to say to this man. _He wanted to tell him how amazing he was, how they could never have accomplished half of what they had done without him, how_ … but, he could never say any of it, and Carter would never expect him to say it.

What he said was, "Well, guess I better get moving. I gotta long way to go."

Carter nodded, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Well, see ya." He dropped his arm to his side.

"Yeah. See ya around…"

Hogan headed down the steps toward the car. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked back. Andrew had not moved a muscle, a look of loss on his face.

He retraced his steps and pulled Carter into a hug. Andrew hugged him back.

And then, he was ready. Bridgeport was waiting.

~The End~

A/N: * Aebleskivers are not an exclusively Norwegian pastry, as many Scandinavians make them, but they are absolutely incredible! I had a dear family friend who would make them when I was growing up, and I miss them…and her.

Thank you to Terri S. for the idea about adding the bear to the charm…I decided it was such lovely idea I had to re-write that scene! Thank you also to my daughter, Hilary, who did the graphic artwork for the charm that appears as the cover for this chapter. It has also given me a plot bunny for a scene in another story! Thank you to all my readers for the wonderful reviews so far!


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